Introducing: Aelvenharp Weddings
We recently met Aelvenharp Weddings at an alternative wedding fair in Birmingham.
We were so pleased to be placed opposite Alison and her harp and for the air to be filled with her ethereal music; to be chatting to couples and suddenly be aware of All About Eve filtering through the conversations, or the Edward Scissorhands music to catch our attention. It was a welcome calm.
Aelvenharp created the most ‘otherworldly’ tone for the day and we’re so excited she’ll be joining us in January for our Gothic Luce Wedding Fair… tickets
Tell us about Aelvenharp Weddings:
I am a harpist and singer, and I work with couples to bring to life some of their musical ideas for their wedding day.
I LOVE doing interesting arrangements of unexpected songs, and I encourage my couples not to think of ‘harp music’, but to think of their music on my harp. It does NOT have ot be classical or folk, but I can do that too if my couples want it!
How did you get into this?
My hubby who I met as he was my drummer in my heavy metal band back in the 80s/90s, is a vicar! Yes you heard that right - I am a vicar’s wife (but don’t expect me to bake cakes or do flower arranging!). This means that when I started to learn the harp, it got to the point where couples would come and speak to Paul about their wedding and see my harp or hear me playing and it went from there. I did my first wedding in 2006, and then started marketing myself seriously from 2009.
What’s the process of working with you?
Most of our work is done online through my mege-database of all my music, which I affectionately call ‘The Harpinator’! This is an online database where couples can select music they would like for different bits of the day.
Every couple get to add at least one new song onto this database, and some of the bigger price pathways offer more that one new song free.
For couples who book me for their ceremony, I get them together for an ‘Open Harp Surgery’ (see what I did there?!) These used to be in person in my house, but due to covid this has stopped and it’s all done online. Shame as there used to be tea and cake! Maybe I can start those up again?
The Open Harp Surgery is where I play the provisional choices that folk have made as indicated on The Harpinator, and then final choices can be made about the music.
How soon do people need to book you?
It’s so impossible to pinpoint a pattern, but if your wedding is in July. August or October, then the sooner the better (I’m always on holiday in September).
What piece of advice would you give?
It’s your wedding, so it has to be your choice of music. Get thinking about the entrance piece! Don’t rush down the aisle! Listen carefully to the words of your favourite songs - some of the most loved love songs are actually quite bitter sweet! or wholly inappropriate for a wedding, for example, Depeche Mode ‘Enjoy the Silence’ - great song! so so so wrong lyrically for a wedding, on any level, seriously, read the words!
Your proudest moment?
My favourite wedding was a Viking Halloween festival with wolves! it was EPIC! But then so wasn the Lord of The Rings wedding I did recently, or the Elven wedding i did in my fairy wings! I love dressing up! And for the weddings of close friends I have written them special songs.
I’m also a recording artist and producer with my band Eve & The Garden, and my choir nChant. All my stuff is produced through my own label Ritualitas.
